Pyrotechnic fuze system



D. J. r-:DELMAN ETAL 3,272,126 PYROTECHNIC FUZE SYSTEM Filed March 20, 1964 Sept. I3, 1966 NVENTORS,

e/man/ Syb/four Kaye j@ QL @arr United States Patent Office 3,272,126 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 PYROTECHNIC FUZE SYSTEM David J. Edelman, Flanders, Seymour M. Kaye, Dover, and Elie L. Barrieres and Garry Weingarten, Morris Plains, NJ., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Mar. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 353,633 4 Claims. (Cl. 102--70) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a fuze system wherein detonation is brought about by heat. This heat in turn originates from the stagnation temperature caused by the passage of the shell through the air toward its target.

In the drawings, FIG. l shows a section of the fuze wherein the fuze tip is a slug of copper. FIG. 2 shows a similar fuze wherein the tip is steel, bored to receive the small charge of diazodintrophenol. In this latter type of structure, the top of the bore 10 is lled with a copper plug 12 which facilitates the conducting of heat to the diazodinitrophenol charge.

In either structure, heat is readily conducted to the charge and this always produces ignition when the shell is in iiight at sufficient velocity.

The ignition temperature of the diazodinitrophenol is approximately 200 C. and ignition will occur in Hight only when the stagnation temperature exceeds this value. No special precaution need be taken to prevent preignition since environmental conditions rarely exceed 74 C. and never even approach 200 C.

The fuze is charged with about 1S mgs. of diazodinitro phenol which is packed in at 5500 to 7500 lbs. per square inch pressure. Behind the fuze a smoke composition is positioned such that the firing of the fuze will ignite the smoke composition.

This invention is not limited to the functioning of a smoke composition, which is cited only as an example, but may also include other pyrotechnic compositions or explosive charges which can be ignited by diazodinitrophenol.

We claim:

1. A pyrotechnic fuze system for an ordnance shell comprising a metal slug containing a charge of diazodinitrophenol and adapted to form a portion of the external surface of said shell, said slug being heated suiciently by air friction during the flight of said shell to cause ignition of said charge.

2. A fuze system for an Aordnance shell comprising a hollow metal slug, a charge of diazodinitrophenol in said slug and closure means for said slug forming a heatconducting medium for said charge, said means being adapted to form a portion of the external surface of said shell which becomes heated during air flight and conducts sufficient heat for igniting said charge.

3. A fuze system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said closure means defines a fuze tip.

4. A fuze system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said closure means consists of a copper plug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,845 6/1901 Beaman 102-87 1,301,382 4/1919 lBuckingham 102-87 2,402,811 671946 Galen 10Q-90 2,807,209 9/ 1957 Kennard 102-49 3,158,097 11/ 1964 Brockway et al. 102--28 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Prz'maly Examiner. G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PYROTECHNIC FUZE SYSTEM FOR AN ORDANCE SHELL COMPRISING A METAL SLUG CONTAINING A CHARGE OF DIAZODINITROPHENOL AND ADAPTED TO FORM A PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID SHELL, SAID SLUG BEING HEATED SUFFICIENTLY BY AIR FRICTION DURING THE FLIGHT OF SAID SHELL TO CAUSE IGNITION OF SAID CHARGE. 